Before you take on the responsibility of owning a cat or dog, you need to take the time to consider the living arrangements for your new pet. Many people adopt pets with the idea that they will be raising an outdoor animal. How many people in your neighbourhood keep their dogs or cat’s outdoors at all times? The fact of the matter is, outside is not a safe place for a cat or a dog, as I will explain in a moment. When you adopt a pet, you need to make sure that you are ready to allow your pet into your home.
It is true that both cats and dogs will love being outside, it is their natural environment. Cats delight in chasing birds, climbing trees and hiding in shrubs. Dogs adore barking at the neighbours, chasing squirrels and digging. However, there are many dangers to keeping your pet outside at all times. Dogs tend to get more outside time than cats do. Owners take their dogs out for walks and in some cases allow their dogs unsupervised access to the backyard from time to time. Cats are usually either indoor pets or outdoor pets.
It is more common nowadays, for owners to keep their cats indoors as they begin to realize the dangers of allowing their cat to live outdoors at all times. I highly recommend that you keep your cats and dogs inside. For cats, you can help them practice their natural instincts inside by giving them plenty of places to run and play inside your home. Buy your cat a good scratching post with a high perch and install a window seat so they can gaze at the birds outdoors.
The number one danger to your pets when they go outside is other animals. You never know when your dog or cat will encounter a stray animal, or strange cat or dog from down the street. You know that your pet is properly vaccinated, but you do not know the health condition of other animals outside. In addition, if your dog or cat gets into a fight with another animal, your pet can be seriously injured or harmed. Unless you supervise your pet at all times when they are outside, you never know when your cat or dog will encounter a strange animal. Now-a-days, even quiet residential areas of large cities have coyotes, foxes, skunks, racoons, abandoned dogs and feral cats wandering the area after dark. Many of these animals carry parasites and diseases, which they can pass on to your pet. Coyotes usually work in packs and their favourite tactic is to send a lone coyote to bait your dog into chasing it. When your dog takes the challenge and chases the lone coyote, the rest of the pack come out of hiding and your dog, no matter how large, becomes a late lunch for these nighttime killers. Unless your cat can make it up a tree, she doesn’t stand a chance against these killers. If you have been watching the news over the last several months, you are probably aware that bears, wolves and other large predators are coming into suburban and city locations with increasing regularity. As their natural habitat and/or prey is decreased, they have no choice but to change their hunting areas to continue to exist. A dark city street, park or large backyard provides a perfect location to hide and spring out on unsuspecting pets and/or children.
In this time of bird flu, your cat should not be allowed to eat wild birds, particularly crows, starlings and others that either migrate long distances or mix with birds that migrate. I have not heard of any cases of a pet dying from eating an infected bird, but if your cat or dog did eat one and then crawled away to some secluded spot to die, no one would know anything about the cause of death because no city or town that I am aware of performs an autopsy on dead pets that are found within their limits. The only time that an autopsy is performed on a pet is when the owner insists and there is a possibility that the pet has been deliberately poisoned, or if the pet is suspected of having rabies. In most cities when a dead pet is found it is taken to the landfill and disposed of with no follow up of any kind. Usually the owner never even finds out the pet is dead. To the owner it just remains missing.
Other dangers of allowing your pet to live outside are cars and other people. A cat darting across the street late at night is a recipe for disaster. What if your dog gets loose from your yard and encounters a child? How will your dog react? You hope that your dog will be good and stay friendly. However, what happens if the child begins to taunt or tease your dog or poke a stick at him? If your dog bites or scratches another person, chances are, you will be responsible for your pet's actions. Many pet owners have found themselves in a serious situation when their dog or cat has acted aggressively when outdoors. Most times, you will face a court appearance and your pet will be destroyed.
When your cat or dog stays indoors, you can also help control fleas, ticks, and the exposure to heartworms. This is not to say that you should not treat an indoor pet for these problems. All dogs and cats, whether they spend most of their time indoors or outdoors, should be on a monthly heartworm preventative. This parasitic disease can be fatal to your pet and your pet can also pass these parasites onto you. It is important to remember that if your cat or dog lives outdoors, you will have many more problems when it comes to fleas and ticks. Fleas can jump from your pet to you and once they get into your home they are difficult to eradicate. Ticks frequently carry Lyme disease, which they can pass onto your pet. There is a lot of controversy about this disease, which is very debilitating. It is quite difficult to diagnose, and once infected with it, the pet or person suffering from the disease may never get rid of it, as treatment methods are not standardized and frequently not very successful.
As you can see, there are many reasons why you should keep your dog or cat indoors. Pets that are indoor pets live longer and healthier lives than pets that live outside. This includes all pets.
Once you make your pet an indoor animal, they will lose some of their outdoor survival instinct. As a result, you will need to protect them when you take them outside. Supervised walks or supervised trips to off leash parks are fine. You should also supervise them when they are in your own fenced in yard, as they will now depend on you to provide a home and protection for them. As mentioned above, you never know, particularly at night, what might be lurking nearby to attack your beloved pet.
Until next time,
Teia
PS. In the northern town in which I live and in the neighbouring city, wolves, bears, coyotes and cougars are frequent visitors and numerous outdoor pets become meals every year. Even the dog catcher had his dog attacked by a bear. Fortunately, the dog was able to get into a very well constructed dog house and avoid death, but he suffered some very nasty scratches and tooth marks that required veterinarian treatment. And of course, if you live in parts of Florida, you have to watch out for the thousands of Burmese Pythons which are devouring wildlife and pets at alarming rates.
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